|
|
It's a little-known fact that film noir, literally translated as "black film", actually is the end result of German expressionism. German expressionism was a style of film that manipulated light and shadow in new and inventive ways. Although expressionism only lasted from 1919 to about the mid-twenties, it has had a lasting impact on film.
The story is told as a frame story by Francis to a friend in a park. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari refers to the sideshow at a local carnival owned by an Einstein-haired man who calls himself Dr. Caligari. The prized part of Caligari's cabinet is Cesare, a somnambulist who has been asleep for twenty-five years and only wakes at Caligari's command. Francis and a friend, Alan, go to see Cesare, then soon afterward, a murder is committed in their peaceful burg. Cesare is put to blame. Much later, Cesare falls in love with Jane, with whom Francis is also in love. And, of course, the monster abducts his beauty and carries her off, like every good film monster must.
Besides that, the plot, like those of most German expressionist films, is much too convoluted to describe here. In fact, it defies common sense. But that's not why you should see it. The sets are not realistic, with walls at acute angles and ceilings that slope erratically to meet the floor; even the matte painting of the city is a grotesque caricature. And that's where the beauty--and some would say madness--of the origin of film noir lies: Not in its gritty, realistic portrayal of life, but in its parody of it. In showing life at its maddest, Caligari makes a very poignant point.
When this film was made, World War I had just ended, and Germany had been humiliated by Britain and France with the Treaty of Versailles. Basically, Germany had been denied advancement, and many put Kaiser Wilhelm to blame, including Robert Wiene. In using Cesare the somnambulist as a metaphor for Germany in the war and Caligari as a metaphor for the Kaiser, he warns against a country blindly following their leader into anything--even into Hell. This 14 years before one Adolf Hitler rose to political power.
To watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari as an uninitiated silent film watcher is to be uncomfortable nearly to the point of pain. Often, the soundtracks added to these wonderful films are practically unbearable (especially in the case of Metropolis), and the level of guise heaped over the message is unfamiliar to American filmgoers. But don't give up on it. Watch it again, with the sound off if needs be, and pick up on the messages hidden underneath the bad acting and strange sets. Once you find the deeper meaning, you will find the reward of watching The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Overall Score: A-
